Kashmiri Pandits protest outside UNMOG Jammu office
Jammu: Kashmiri Pandits staged a protest outside the office of the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOG) here on Tuesday against the exodus of the community from the Kashmir Valley 31 years ago.
The displaced KPs held the protest in support of demands for their return, rehabilitation and one place for their settlement in the valley and setting up of a genocide commission to punish those behind their exodus on this day in 1990.
The protest was part of several programmes organised by the displaced community in various parts of the Jammu city on the occasion of “Holocaust Day”.
Dozens of migrant Kashmiri Pandits assembled outside the UNMOG office at Gandhi Nagar and staged a sit-in and chanted slogans in support of their demand for justice.
“We have assembled here because the world community has failed us till date We want to return to our homes with dignity and want the world body to address our genocide and restore our fundamental rights,” Youth All India Kashmiri Samaj (YIKS) president R K Bhat said.
Bhat, who led a rally from migrant camp Muthi to the UNMOG office to mark the 31st ‘Exodus Day’ of the community, expressed his anger over the political leadership, saying “they make big promises during elections but when the democratic exercise gets over, they forget us.”
“It was on this black night we had to flee our homes. We are hearing of our return and rehabilitation for the past three decades but all such promises made to us during elections are not implemented on the ground,” Bhat said.
He said it is unfortunate that the government had “so far failed to settle a miniscule community in the valley”.
“We are tired of the slogan that Kashmir is incomplete without KPs but there was nothing literally done. Such slogans along with the promise of return and rehabilitation of pandits are meant to get political mileage,” he said, and urged the leadership of the country and the world body to facilitate the return of the community to the valley.
Various Kashmiri Pandit organizations also staged protests at different places including Jagti migrant camp and demanded capital punishment for all those responsible for their displacement.
Most of Kashmiri Pandits organisations are demanding return and rehabilitation of 7 lakh KPs at one township or one settlement area in Kashmir in view of safety and security of the community. They also demanded setting up of a genocide commission, to probe exodus and killings of KPs, besides a temple board.
“Most of the KP organisations are on the same page for settlement and rehabilitation of the community at one place or in one township due to security and safety point of view. But governments have failed to move further on it”, All Party Migrant Coordination Committee (APMCC) chairman Vinood Pandit said.
There are similar demands of setting up of a genocide commission to probe the exodus of KPs from valley and setting up of a temple board, he said.
Panun Kashmir held a conclave to mark the ‘Holocaust Day’ and took a pledge to rededicate itself to the cause of a separate homeland in Kashmir.
“January19, 1990 was the darkest night in the annals of Kashmiri pandit history when they were forced to leave Kashmir for the seventh time,” Panun Kashmir said as it exhibited a ‘holocaust gallery’ to the members at the conclave depicting terror and torture the community members were allegedly subjected to.
Panun Kashmir president Virender Raina said the abrogation of Article 370 gives him the hope that there can be a separate homeland for KPs in Kashmir. (PTI)
Press Trust of India
